(NewsNation) — The amount of fentanyl seized by U.S. federal agents working along the northern border has dropped by 85% since President Donald Trump took office in January.
But after Trump made eliminating the entry of fentanyl and other illicit drugs from Canada a priority since the start of his second stint in the White House, the U.S.’ working relationship with its neighbor to the north will be critical, officials tell NewsNation.
Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, which is connected to the illegal smuggling of drugs like fentanyl into the United States. But even with a tariff in place, federal agents fear that cartels could still find ways to move their product into the country from the north.
U.S. Border Patrol officials told NewsNation that due to limited manpower and infrastructure needed to secure the U.S.-Canada border, how the two countries partner together will be critical to continuing the crackdown on fentanyl.
Border Patrol is collaborating with Canadian authorities to install vehicle barriers along the border, aiming to control who can cross into the United States.
Jason Liebe, the acting Spokane Sector Border Patrol chief, told NewsNation that agents work to identify vulnerable spots in the 308-mile stretch of the northern border the sector is responsible for covering.
This comes as just 1 1/2 pounds of fentanyl have been seized along the border during the first two months of Trump’s administration, compared to 10 1/2 pounds that were seized between October 2024 and January. According to pharmacists, there are roughly 4,535 pills in one pound of fentanyl.
Despite the drop, border agents know they can’t let their guard down.
“It’s always a concern — the cartels are always going to find one way or another to move their product and make their money,” Chris Young, patrol agent in charge of the sector, told NewsNation.
U.S. Border Patrol has partnered with port agents from the Office of Field Operations to keep fentanyl and other illegal goods from being moved across the border where barriers are lacking. The Border Patrol currently has 249 agents to cover 308 land miles along the northern border, compared to the nearly 2,000 agents that are assigned to 245 miles of the Del Rio Sector along the southern border.
That makes efficiency to the north even more important, officials say.
“(Cartels) are going to take advantage of the path of least resistance,” Young said. “If we give them a path of least resistance, they’ll use it.”